Center-plate fastening



(No Model.)

0'. LINDSTROM.

CENTER PLATE FASTENING.

Patented Aug. 9. 1892.

alter:

0., mum-um UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LINDsTRoM, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CENTER-PLATE FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,408, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed May 5, 1892. Serial No. 431,882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES LINDs'rRoM, of Altoona, county of Blair, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Device for Securing Center Plates to Body-Bolsters, of which the followiug is a true and exact description, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to railroad-cars, and has for its object to provide an improved device for securing the center plates to the body-bolsters against which they rest. Heretofore it has been usual to secure the plates in position by means of bolts, the heads of which are sunk in the upperfaces of the bo1- ster, the shank extending through the bolster and the threaded ends through appropriate holes in the center plate, nuts being used to secure the bolts in position by screwing on these threaded ends. This construction has been found ojectionable, owing to the fact that the saddle-castings rest upon the body-bolster above the embedded bolt-heads, and in case the bolt breaks it is necessary to remove the castings before it can be taken out and replaced. The principal object I have in view is to enable the bolt'to be inserted and removed more readily and 'without necessitating the removal of the saddlecastings.

The nature of my improvement will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings in which itis illustrated,and in which Figure 1 is a cross -sectional elevation through a railroad-car provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of the central longitudinal sills,a portion of the body-bolster, and the saddle-castings connected therewith. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the same parts and also the center plate,one of the saddle-castings being partly broken away to show its internal construction; and Fig. 4 is a side view of the same parts, one of the saddle-castings being again partly broken away.

A is the car; B, the central longitudinal sills; O, the body-bolster; D, the center plate; E E, saddle-castings, these castings being used to support the tie-rods and are made of various shapes and constructions in the form shown. Appropriate grooves Eare provided for longitudinal tie-rods F, and grooves E E for the tie-rods G, used to support the bodybolster. Through the bottom of the saddlecastings at appropriate points are formed bolt-holes E*, at the top of which is a recess or seat E adapted to receive a key, as shown. Above this seat an opening E is formed through the side of the castings; but this is only necessary when the seats E are actually inclosed in the walls of the casting.

H H are bolts used in holding the center plate in position, H being the nuts, and H a slot formed in the opposite end of the bolt, which, it will be noticed, is not provided with any head.

I I, &c., are keys adapted to enter the slotted end H of the bolts.

Then it is desiredto secure the center plate to the body-bolster, the saddle-castings being in place, as shown in the drawings, the bolts H are passed up through the appropriate holes in the body-bolster, their slotted ends H passing through the bolt-holes H in the bottom of the saddle-castings. The keys I are then inserted in the slots H (in the case shown the keys are inserted through holes E) and the holes pushed or permitted to fall down until the keys rest in the recess or seat E the size of which is such as will grasp the key and prevent it from getting out of the slot H It is then only necessary to screw on the nuts H,Which will hold the center plate securely in position. In case of a bolt breaking, the nut H is unscrewed, the bolt pushed up until the key is out of recess E the key then removed and the bolt withdrawn downward, a new bolt being inserted in the way above described to take its place.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A saddle-casting E, having a bolt-hole E through its bottom and a key-seat E at the andhaving slotted ends H extending through top of said hole, substantially as shown and the holes E of the saddle-castings, and keys 10 described. I, adapted to enter the slotted bolt ends and 2. In combination, the body-bolster O, a restin seats E 5 saddle casting or castings secured above the CHARLES LIN DSTRUM.

body-bolster and having: bolt-holes E' and Witnesses: key-seats E, as described, a center plate D, J N0. D. BOWMAN, bolts H, arranged to hold the center plate ED. V. REIGH. 

